Spare-tire lock



April 7, 193-1, w. L. HAWKINS SPARE TIRE LOCK Filed June 21. 1928 7''TOPNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 {UNI ED STATES" TION OIE, ILLINOIS Application filed .Tune 21,

' This invention relatestgenerally to looks and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in devices especially adapted for lockingagainst unauthorized removal certainautomobile spare-parts, such,

for instance, as the spare rim and tire;-

My invention has for its; objects the pro- Vision of a device for the purpose stated which is compact in structure, conveniently operable, and 'eflicient in the performance of its intended functions; r

with. the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the'novel features'of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter describedand pointed out in the claims. 7 In the accompanying drawings,- Figure l is an elevatio-nal view, partly ,broken away and in section, of a spare-rim and its tire, illustrating a lock of my 1nvention operatively associated therewith andwiththe wheel-carrier;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectlonal view of ,..r,. the lock, similarly shown in connection with the spare rim and its carr1er; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the lock taken "approximately on the line 3-3-, Figure 2. i

, Referring now more'i-n detail and by ref {735 erence characters to the drawing, which illus trates a-preferred embodiment ofmy invention, my new lock is designed-for use in connection with the demountable spare-rim and its carrier. To such end-thelocking assem '35 hly includes a block A provided transversely or horizontally witha bore 1, which extends from the outer or rear face tothe inner or front face of block A and in'which, as best seen in Figure 2, is" arranged for bodily rotatory movement a nut 2, corno-medto whlch adjacent its one or rear end is a collar 3 adapted for nut-retaining engagement with the outer face of the block A, as' shown;

Rearwa-rdly of collar 3 and preferably in egral with or otherwiserigidlyiconj'oined to nut 2', is an actuating head l preferably of hexagonal or other suitableforrn for wrenchengage'ment. Formed longitudinally in the nut 2' and opening only to the inner or" for-1 ward face of block A. is an internally WALrEnLEwIs HAWKINS, or s'r. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIG'NO RyBY Mnsn n ssreru; ,IMENTS, TOVDUBO METAL rnonuo'rs COMPANY, OF CHICAGO; ILLINOIS, A conronn- SPARE-TIRE Look 1928. Serial 1%. 287,178

threaded elongated or bolt-accommodating recess 5', and formed peripherally on nut 2,

is a plurality of ratchet-notches 6, two such.

tending in parallelism with bore 1, recess 8,

however, for purposes soon to appear, opening only on the rearward outer face of; block A. Opening into the recess 8" and aligning with the bore 7 ,is a seat 9 for a spring 10, and disposed at an end against the spring 10 and inthe bore 7 with the latter as its guide orw'ay, is a shiftab'le'bolt or pawl 111 adapted yieldingly, under thetension of'spring10', for engagement at its other endwith the nut 2 at its respectiveratchet-notches 6 for preventingrotatory movement of'the nut Q'in one dis 7 rection, namely, the direction faced'by the shoulders n'. i V

. In passing, I may say' that theblock' A is preferabl provided with analigni'ng plugclosed openlng, as at 12, to facilitate placement of'the' spring 10 and bolt 1 1 in the as senibling of the severalfparts of the lock.-

13', or otherwise fixed to block A againstre moval, is a preferably cylindrical casing 14, mounted for rotatory movement in which is a Disposed in the recess- 8 and pinned, as

cylindrical member or barrel 15 adapted only for rotatory actuation, as is. customary in such locks, by means of a key16 insertable into the barrel 15. The barrel 15 projects forwardly within block A, and projecting from the forward end of harrel1 5, is alongitudi nally disposed and axially offset crankpin 1'1 1 adapted to fit and work ina slot 18 provided in the spring-pressed bolt 11, the axial width of which. slot is suflicient to permit length wise movement of the bolt 11 by thenut 2hr riding thereover either whenkey-actuated, as

shortlyappears, or when rot'ated inthe direction opposite to that faced by the notches 6, for purposes soon to ap ear.

Formed in the nut 2 adjacent the collar 3, is a circumferential recess or groove 19, with the walls of which a pin 20 driven into the block A engages to rigidly retain the nut 2, in co-operation with the collar 3, from endwise movement in or removal from the block A.

Forming part of and completing the lock, is a rim-engaging member B, which includes an approximately oblong rectangular plate 21 provided marginally upon three sides with a forwardly presented flange, as at 22, and at its one or lower Y end with a preferably integral hook-extension 23. Member ,B is adapted to fit at its main or plate-portion 21 flatwise against, and completely cover and conceal, the forward end face of the block A. For such pur pose, the plate 21 is formed upon its rear face with a recess, as at 24:, adapted to receive and accommodate a block-locating lug or boss 25 projecting from the forward face of the block A, the member B being transversely provided. at said recess 24 with an opening, as at 26, for a suitable headed screw 27 adapted to thread into an internally threaded recess 28 formed in said boss 25 for detachably securing the block A and member B operatively together, the member B having a second opening, as at 29, adapted to register with the internally threaded recess 5 of the nut 2.

Normally, as when the key 16 is removed from the lock-barrel 15, the bolt 11 yieldingly engages the nut 2 at one or the other of its notches 6 and prevents rotatory movement of nut 2 in the direction, as stated, faced by the shoulders n or, as it might be said, in the direction that would unscrew or unfasten the nut 2 from threaded engagement with a bolt fitted into its recess 5. However, by' means of a wrench or other suitable tool (not shown) applied upon the nut-head 4, the nut 2 may be turned in a screwing or fastening direction upon an interposed bolt, that is to say, in the direction opposite to that faced by the ratchet-shoulders a, the bolt 11 being successively depressed against the tension of spring 10 by the cam-faces n of the several notches 6 V and the nut 2 riding thereover, the slot 18 being, as stated, of sulficient length or width to permit such successive depression of the bolt 11 when not key-actuated. On a key 16 being inserted in the casing 14: and the barrel 15 then rotated, the bolt 11 will be pulled by the crank-pin 17 and against the tension of the spring 10 out of engagement with the nut 2, when the nut 2 may be freely rotated in a so-called non-screwing, release, or unf astenin" direction. 7 f

'lhe spare rim and tire carrier C is of ringformation and of a suitable diameter to receive therearound the particular spare-rim D and its supported'tire E. The ring or car rier C is suitably fixed to and upon the automobile F by means of a suitable bracket Ur, and fixed at a leg or portion upon the carrier G, is an angle-block or bracket H, the other leg or portion 31 thereof being presented upwardly and facing rearwardly, as best seen in Figure 1. Suitably welded or otherwise fixed, as at 32, to the leg 31 of block H, is a rearwardly presented mounting-bolt 33.

The spare-rim D-and tire E being mounted on the carrier G, my new lock is then employed to retain the rim D and tire E against unauthorized removal, and in use and operation, the lock is disposed with relation to the upstanding portion 31 of the bracket H for engagement at its nut 2 with the fixed bolt The nut 2 is then rotated in a direction opposite to that faced by the ratchet-shoulders a to threadedly engage the bolt 33, movement of the nut 2 in such direction being permitted without the vinterposition of akey 16. As the nut 2 is so actuated, and the look as a whole consequently shifted toward the carrier C, rim D, and block H, th lock-member B is first hookwise engaged at its extension 23 with the rim D and then flatwise abutted against the angle H, so that finally, under such actuation of the nut 2, the block B seats against, and the screw 27 is then wholly covered and concealed by, the bracket H. V

In such manner, the rim D and its tire E are rigidly locked to and upon the carrier C, release or unfastening movement of ,nut 2 being prevented by the engagement of bolt 11 with one or the other of its notches 6. On the bolt 11 being pulled out of engagement with the nut 2 by means of the crankpin 1? on actuation thereof by an inserted key 16, the nut 2 may be reversely rotated and thereby unscrewed from the bolt 3.3, when the lock as a whole may be disengaged from the carrier-bracket H and rim D, and the rim D and its tire E freed for removal from the carrier. 6.

I may add that the locking-assembly is of such type that the key 16 may not be withdrawn'from the barrel 15 when the pin 17 is in bolt unlocking position, with the result that, as an element of safety, the operator is advised that, when the key 16 is removable, the ratchet meohanism is in operative looking condition.

I may further add that the recess 2%, screw-opening 26, and bolt-opening 29 provided in the lock-member D are preferably elongated to permit of some relative shifting of the member B in its attachment to the block A to adjustably engage different rimformations, the hook-extension 23 having a relatively deep slot for rim-engagement and said hook-extension being so relatively shaped as to closely hug the rim and thereby prevent the insertion thereunder of a tool in an endeavor to pry the lock from the rim. 13p

My lock may be readily commercially manufactured and has been found exceedingly efficient in the performance of its intended functions.

I am aware that changes in'the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my newlock may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spare-rim lock including, in combination, a block, a locking-nutpermanently secured for rotation in the block and having a threaded recess for engagement with a mounting-bolt, said recess opening upon an end face of the block, a separate rim and carrier engaging-member mounted on and disposed over said end face of the block and having an opening registering with said recess, and means for separably securing the block upon said engaging member.

2. In combination with a carrier and a spare rim mounted on the carrier, the carrier having a mounting bracket and a bolt projecting from said bracket, of an apertured plate fitted upon said bolt andhaving engagement with the rim, a block, means for separably securing the block upon the plate, and a nut permanently secured for rotary movement in the block and rotarily engage able with said bolt.

3. In combination with a carrier and a plate-member also having a surface recess and a slot through its wall opening into said recess, a lock-assembly comprising a block fitting at an end face upon said plate-mem her and having a lug projecting into said recess, and a screw removably projecting through said slot and engaging said lug for adjust-ably securing the block to the plateclamp to operablyreceive a bolt through the rim clamp to look a rim between said rim clamp and acarrier.

- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER LEWIS HAWKI S.v

spare rim mounted on the carrier, the carrier having a mounting bracket and a bolt proplate fitted upon saidbolt and over the 'jecting from said .bracket, of an apertured bracket and having hookwise engagement with the rim, a block, means for separably securing the block upon the plate, a nut permanently secured for rotary'movement in the block andengageable with said bolt, a bolt mounted for movement in the block and engageable with the nut for preventing reverse rotation thereof, and key actuable means for effecting disengagement of the bolt from the barrel.

4. A spare tire lock including a spare-rim engaging plate-member adapted to fit upon a mounting-bracket and having an aperture for accommodating a mounting bolt, said 7 plate-memberalso having a surface recess, a lock-assembly comprising a block fitting at an end face upon said plate-member and having 2. lug projecting into. recess, and a screw projecting through the plate and engaging said lug for separably securing the block to the plate-member. 5. A spare tire lock including a spare-rim engaging plate-member adapted to fit upon a mounting-bracket and having an aperture for accommodating a mounting bolt, said 

